"Chicago's Hidden Gem Neighborhood"

I absolutely love living in Tri-Taylor and I have every reason to believe that its going to be "the next big thing" neighborhood in Chicago. It has everything that my wife and I were looking for in a place to live and eventually raise a family.

Location - The location is great for a lot of different reasons. Being on the near west side makes it easy to get pretty much anywhere. The Blue Line and Pink Line are nearby which makes it an easy train ride to get downtown, to O'Hare, or to any of the hot spots off of the Blue Line (Greektown, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Logan Square, etc.). The 12, 60, and 157 bus lines also make it easy to get downtown or straight into the UIC, the South Loop, and University Village. Being just a few blocks off of the 290 makes it simple to get anywhere by car, whether going west into the burbs or to the circle to shoot north or south. While it's not really part of Little Italy, the great restaurants and bars on Taylor Street are just a few blocks away. Being right next to the Illinois Medical District has its benefits too...like having a pet ER within walking distance.

Diversity - Tri-Taylor is one of the few Chicago neighborhoods that I've been to that is actually diverse...in pretty much any way that you could imagine. It's a racial melting pot because its the intersection of Lawndale and Garfield Park to the North and West, Pilsen to the South, and UIC/Little Italy/University Village to the East. The housing is mixed too. There is a relatively even distribution of condos, 2 or 3 flat apartments, and single family homes. The ages of the homes range from the absolutely gorgeous Victorian rowhouses/brownstones/greystones from the 1880's to brand spanking new houses and condos that are popping up everywhere. The people of the neighborhood are from all different age ranges and professions too. There's a mix of old-school folks that grew up in the neighborhood, young professionals, families, and UIC students. I've noticed that there are also a lot of public service types that live in Tri-Taylor, like cops, fire fighters, teachers, doctors, nurses, etc.

Gentrification - When we first started looking at buying our house in Tri-Taylor, we looked in the spring time when the weather was first starting to get nice, which meant it was construction season. As we walked and drove up and down the blocks in Tri-Taylor, it seemed like each block had at least a handful of different houses being renovated or new buildings being put up. Tri-Taylor is definitely on the up and up. What makes it even better is that prices are still reasonable. As far as crime goes, it's a safe neighborhood, as far as Chicago is concerned. We've talked to neighbors that have lived here longer than us and we always hear about how much it's cleaned up over the past 10 years or so. That being said, there is obviously still some crime, but mostly drug related or an occasional burglary or robbery. As long as your smart about where you are, when you're there, and who you're with, there really aren't any concerns. Bottom line is that Tri-Taylor is a good neighborhood that's only going to get better, I've even seen it on a few lists for being a new hot neighborhood in Chicago.

Amenities - Because of the nearby Illinois Medical District, Tri-Taylor is packed with great lunch places...Ferrara's (where Lemonheads were first made), LuLu's, Granddaddy's subs, Bacci's and Damenzo's pizza, and many more. Claremont Park and Livingston Field are very new and feature a dog park, playground, Bacci Ball courts, and a soccer/baseball field. There are a lot of other little businesses on Taylor and Western that make living here convenient, like dry-cleaners, dentist's office, barber shop, etc. The only things that Tri-Taylor really needs are a couple of nicer dinner places and a more upscale bar (although Rick's Bar and Simpsons are fantastic if you like a good Dive Bar).

"Excellent Affordable Option So Close To Downtown, Illinois Medical District, & Public Trans"

I've lived here for 8 years. Was single but now have a wife and 2 young children. No dining or night life scene keeps this smaller neighborhood an affordable option so close to downtown. I think this could potentially be the next University Village/Little Italy area mixed with a little Logan Square or West Town. There are some good vacant storefronts in the area just waiting for some cool businesses to open up (coffee house, pub, bistro??). I really love Baba Pita which has just opened up on Taylor Street. UIC and medical students hang out at Bacci Pizza. The locals prefer Damenzo's. My favorite is the Original Ferrara Bakery (manufacturers of Lemonheads, Atomic Fireballs, Boston Baked Beans, etc. in Forest Park) which is an Italian bakery and lunchtime cafe on Taylor Street. There are plenty of street food options here, just no solid restaurants yet. But you know what, save the money by living here and take a cab or drive to a restaurant not far away. For dog lovers, there is a huge dog park at Western and Flournoy, You do have to drive for groceries... the closest is Pete's Fresh Market (one at Madison/Western and a larger one on Cermak near Western) and Jewel (Ashland/Roosevelt). There are some ghetto-type folks in the neighborhood (both east and west of Western) but they are easily the minority. When I say ghetto, I don't mean color of skin... I mean attitude and lifestyle. Besides that, it is a wonderfully diverse neighborhood.

"20 years going strong!!"

Tri-Taylor is a PERFECT neighborhood right off of Polk & Western. I've been living in the area for 20 years and I absolutely find it to be amazing. I live on Bowler, which is across the street from Chicago Hope Academy. I don't know much about the private high school, but I do know that the students come out at the end of the day with discipline. They don't hang around our neighborhood looking for trouble, they go about their business. A block away, there is also a level 1 CPS elementary school - Washington Irving Elementary. I have nothing but good things to say about that school, considering the fact that I did attend there. Their principal is phenomenal, she's doing such an amazing job with the kids. This is a great neighborhood for families with kids, since there is a grade school and high school in walking distance. There's also many little restaurants in Tri-Taylor that I know everyone will find to be incredible. This is a neighborhood that's meant to be calm and quiet, and if you're looking for a great night out, try walking over to the east side - even that's in walking distance from Tri-Taylor. 15 minutes in driving if you ask me. Altogether, this is a good quiet neighborhood to raise your kids in. Also, if you're single or a couple, this neighborhood would be the right fit for you. MOST IMPORTANTLY, almost all of us in the neighborhood are either Christians, Catholics, or Baptists, so religion does play a huge part here.

wpsouthpaw500I'd like to address the religion comment at the end of your post.

While there are strong Christian roots in this neighborhood, seeing as it was a part of Little Italy, I feel that saying "MOST IMPORTANTLY" that almost everyone here is a certain religion is misleading.

First off, the comment is incorrect. One of the aspects of this community that I love is its diversity, including its religious diversity. There are many different races and cultures in Tri-Taylor and I've never heard or seen anyone make a big deal about someone's religion.

Lastly, I feel that this comment could give people the impression that the neighborhood is close-minded and ignorant of other cultures. I find this contradictory to my experience living here and mildly offensive.

Tri-Taylor is a great neighborhood, and I'd hate to have a comment such as yours deter people from wanting to live here.

2yrs+

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"Safe Neighborhood Near West Side"

We moved into the neighborhood after living in several West Loop lofts for a number of years. Having a taste for a single family home lifestyle with a growing family and dogs, we found the area to be convenient and close to our jobs and everything that we love about the city without being too detached. We love the proximity to everything while getting to own a house with a fenced-in yard for the dogs, space for our things, and a garage for our vehicles. We love that Taylor Street offers a huge selection and variety of food choices and the University system, South Loop, and Ukranian Village is very close. We like the convenience to the Blue Line without the congestion and limited selection of single family homes north of the I-290 and even near 90-94. We also like that the neighborhood is very safe and gang free which is becoming increasingly hard to find in the city. We scoped out the neighborhood for about 2-3 months before closing on our house and found everything about it to suit our needs. More growth in the area will help both industry and housing prices as developers build more single family homes and duplexes in the area. The older side of Tri-Taylor is filled with beautiful brick homes and the newer side has only been around for about 15 years. The demographics in the area are diverse as there appears to be many ethnicities of young professionals in the area mixed with university students as well as singles. Claremont Park is a wonderful addition complete with a huge dog park and new playground. I'd say the best thing about Tri-Taylor is it's location and proximity to everything while getting to own a piece of land in the city. I'd also say that the area still needs more businesses, both small and large, to bring more interest and foot traffic to the area off Western. However, many good things appear to be coming this way while still allowing the neighborhood to remain safe and quiet. There is a top-notch veterinarian, friendly tailor, mini-markets, and a handful of great restaurants, although there are no Starbucks Coffee houses, yet. My only advice is to stay east of the tracks behind Western Avenue as North Lawndale is like traveling into the distant past or third world country. Overall, we couldn't have made a better decision to move to Tri-Taylor, the furthest neighborhood still considered part of the Near West Side. It's like getting the benefits of suburbia within the city. Looking forward to seeing what happens as far as growth in the coming years.

"I'd like to add . ."

I think the previous reviews are quite accurate. We bought and moved into the neighborhood in the late 90's and love it. It is pretty stable as well, as we have had the same neighbors on our block for over 10 years.

It is kid and dog friendly and there is a little league field. When the weather warms up it is very easy to get to know your neighbors if you want to. As a previous poster said, it has a nice mix of newcomers and old school residents that keep an eye on what is going on and share the history of the neighborhood if you ask. It is very diverse with a real friendly vibe.

The only thing I will caution anyone on are the neighborhood school choices. Washington Irving gets mixed reviews. I have met the principal and some of the teachers and they seemed very capable. There are some pretty amazing public elementary schools nearby like, Skinner and Andrew Jackson Language Academy. These are either magnet or selective enrollment and are very difficult to get into. For instance, Andrew Jackson gets around 1500 applications for 60 Kindergarten slots.

As far as high schools, Crane, which is the neighborhood H.S.’s record was pretty abysmal. They have now changed the curriculum to a medical Prep H.S. This is its first year and reports have been encouraging. This neighborhood is also home to some of the best high schools in the city . .IF, that is if you can get your kid in. This includes Whitney Young (CPS) and St Ignatius (Private Catholic). There are talks about building another High School to meet the demand of access to quality schools for the growing population. A relatively new and small private school with good ratings, Hope Academy, is also in Tri-Taylor.

All in all I love the neighborhood, It takes me no time to get to work downtown and to all that Chicago has to offer.

"Tri-Taylor is a convenient developing neighborhood"

Tri-Taylor is the neighborhood near University of Illinois at Chicago in the West Loop. It is also right next to Chicago's medical area. This neighborhood is definitely way more interesting than it used to be. It seems to constantly be under development with a variety of new housing complexes, businesses and restaurants springing up all the time.

Tri-Taylor is a good place for foodies, as it is right near Little Italy and Greektown. You can't go wrong with those parts of town when it comes to food. You will also find some interesting architecture with historic rowhouses giving Tri-Taylor a unique and interesting look.

This might very well be a good place for people looking to buy in Chicago. After all, there are a lot of new developments. Also the prices seem pretty decent especially considering the proximity to downtown. You also have the advantage of great access to public transportation, schools and medical facilities. However, on the other other hand, it is not the most quiet neighborhood and some may be irritated by all of the college students in the area.

"Friendly and Student Oriented"

Tri-Taylor is an area within Chicago that is highly accessible and is working it's way up in terms of status. The neighborhood has landmark status, is close to the University, and within close proximity to Little Italy and Greektown.

Business are beginning to come in and develop a sprawling commercial district. In the residential areas the residents enjoy tree-lined streets and historic homes, many dating back to shortly after the big fire. The Rowhouses are being renovated and restored in the area.

Within Tri-Taylor you will find mostly mid-20's residents and students from the local universities who have chosen to call Tri-Taylor home due to it's proximity to the schools within Chicago, it's accessibility to public transportation and it's close proximity to the downtown area.